Updates on appeals and who's coming up for parole.

The Matt Baker case: Baker's appeals have all been denied. He is expected to serve out his sentence in a Texas prison. He becomes eligible for parole in 2039, when he is 68-years-old.

Jim and Linda Dulin are raising their granddaughters in Waco. Kensi and Grace are attending school and flourishing, surrounded by family and friends.

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SHATTERED:

David Temple's appeal was heard by the appeals court in January 2010. They ruled this morning: 12/​21/​10, and upheld the jury's guilty verdict. I would expect that next year, David's attorneys will take the case to the highest court in the state, Texas' Court of Criminal Appeals. I'll keep you posted.

Update: January 11, 2012: the Court of Criminal Appeals announced that it is reviewing one issue in the Temple trial, whether or not there was sufficient evidence. There's no guarantee how long this will take, but I will keep you posted!

At sixteen, Evan continues to live with Heather in the Houston area. Like his father did as a teenager, Evan plays high school football, and the Lucas family believes he resembles Belinda in both looks and disposition.

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A WARRANT TO KILL

Joseph Kent McGowen is still behind bars. He was recently denied parole and won't be eligible again until 2015. Susan's son, Jason, works in construction in Louisiana and is now married with a child.

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A DESCENT INTO HELL:

Colton Pitonyak's appeals have all failed.

Laura Hall's convictions stood, but the appeals court overturned the punishment phase of her trial. A new jury was brought in and her case retried to set punishment. This was a risky result for Hall, who'd already served 22 months of her 5-year sentence and was eligible for parole. At the retrial, new evidence was presented, including jailhouse phone calls in which she threatened the victim's mother, the jury and prosecutors from her first trial, even Allison Wetzel, the prosecutor in her second trial. In the end, the resentencing went against Hall, and the jury sentenced her to the max, ten years behind bars. Because she had credit for time served, Hall was immediately eligible for parole. So far, it's been repeatedly denied. She came up for parole most recently in October 2012, and the decision hasn't yet been announced.

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SHE WANTED IT ALL:

Celeste Beard's appeals have all been denied. Celeste is still working with Clara Harris (the murder by Mercedes case from Houston) typing books into brail.

Tracey Tarlton was paroled in August of 2011.

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DIE, MY LOVE:

Piper Rountree's appeals have all failed. Someone who knows her in prison in Virginia tells me she's still protesting her innocence.

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EVIL BESIDE HER:

Thank you to everyone who has written the Texas Parole Board to ensure that James Bergstrom remains behind bars. He was refused parole for a second time on June 11, 2010. He's again eligible in June 2013. Although I know that's a while off, I urge you to write to protest. James is a dangerous psychopath, and we're all safer if he remains behind bars. To protest: